CA, US & World
Is Hydroponic Lettuce Safer? What Experts Say
Foodborne illness concerns have some shoppers looking for alternatives to traditional grocery store produce, including hydroponic lettuce.
Hydroponic farms grow plants without soil, often using controlled environments designed to limit exposure to pests and other potential contaminants.
At Nanue Farms in Raleigh, North Carolina, owner Trevor Spear grows thousands of plants in vertical panels under LED lights inside shipping containers. The plants are watered through a constantly circulating system.
Spear says the controlled environment helps limit exposure to outside contaminants.
But NC State food safety expert Chip Simmons says no growing method eliminates all risks.
Traditional farming can expose produce to contaminated irrigation water, soil and animal waste. Hydroponic systems remove some of those potential pathways, but pathogens can still enter a recirculating water system.
For shoppers concerned specifically about Cyclospora, Simmons says buying locally grown produce may provide an additional advantage because it can involve fewer processing and distribution steps.
“There are less risks from buying local,” Simmons said, explaining that fewer “touch points” can mean fewer opportunities for contamination.
The way produce is purchased can also make a difference. At Nanue Farms, lettuce is harvested whole with the root ball still attached, meaning it has not gone through the same processing as some packaged produce.
Spear says keeping the plant intact and avoiding processing can reduce opportunities for contamination.
Experts emphasize that no produce is completely risk-free. However, growing practices, processing methods and shorter supply chains can all play a role in reducing opportunities for foodborne illness between the farm and the dinner table.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
August 28, 2026
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